The Children That Should Have Never Been Born
by GabiiBearr
Summary: There are six new kids at camp, kids who shouldn't exist, that are believed to be the answer to the war between the gods. (The full summary is inside. A lot better than it sounds.)
1. Epilogue

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own Percy Jackson. I, obviously, don't own the gods/goddesses, either. BUT I do own my characters

**FULL SUMMARY:** Six children, four girls and two boys, have found their ways to camp. It is obvious that they aren't like the other campers- they possess abilities that either have never been seen or that haven't been seen for a long time. These children realize that they are alone but that their parents do want them. That's why they must save them from destroying themselves in a war of the gods. Weapons have gone missing. Gods have been attacked and past lovers have been murdered. There are plenty of things still left to do, like choose between choosing sides or stopping the war, or keeping themselves alive, but this group of children must first ban together on a nearly impossible quest. And, just when it feels like the whole world is against them or losing faith in them, they finally realize that they truly aren't alone.

**Epilogue**

* * *

Rebecca Calitas- who much rather prefers being called Becca- was born March 21 in the year 2000. Her dark, curly brown hair never matched her mother and father's, but then again, neither did her illuminous silver eyes. Her parents, both blonde and hazel eyed people, weren't actually her parents. They had adopted her from an adoption agency when she was a three year old toddler. Ever since then, Rebecca had grown into a beautiful young girl who often took late night walks in the wooded areas around her home. Of course this had scared her parents half to death, but after months of begging, they'd let her take archery. She was a natural at it, and because of this, she always took her bow and arrows with her at night. This did help a little by making her parents, Holly and Brandon Calitas, a little more self assured about her walks. On her walks, Rebecca would often stop at the stream in the woods and stare at herself. She never saw her own beauty and was assured that no boy had seen it, either.

The reasons she believed this was because she only had one male friend, well actually he was her only friend, and he was cripple. He had a problem with his legs, one that made him walk on crutches. Rebecca did envy him for getting out of gym so easily, though. Her friend, Route, often stayed by her side at school, and always watched over her. Some times, he'd even try pushing her to talk to other people. Really, it was one boy in particular. He was a grade ahead of Rebecca, making him a freshmen, and was very quiet around everyone but Route. Route wasn't even the only thing the two children had in common. They were both shy, good looking, easily looked over and most importantly, demigods. However, neither Rebecca nor Ricardo had ever been told.

Ricardo Garcia, a tall mysterious Hispanic boy, was born January 2 of 1999. He didn't have many friends, the only one being Route, and was alone in growing up. He, too, was adopted into a family. The family who adopted him were blonde and blue eyed, and often very rude. They'd leave him alone to himself for most night, choosing instead to rent out a cheap and sleazy motel room. They rarely financed him, which forced him to get a job mowing the grass. They'd often make jokes about it to him, which he ignored. He had known for a long time that they weren't his real parents- what white people with blonde hair and blue eyes could give birth to a full Latino with black hair and brown eyes? None. Ricardo, or Rico, wasn't even sure he was fully Latino, but he liked to believe he was. It was the only thing in his life that made sense.

That and the fact that he'd probably never pass ninth grade thanks to his AdHd. He had Route help him with his studies most time, though, and it was slowly bringing up his grade. He often saw Route talking with Rebecca and he even wanted to approach and talk with them, but something always stopped him. Something always, literally, whispered in his head that it wasn't the time and to be patient. Ricardo never knew how long he'd have to wait, that girl was just like him and would probably love another friend, but something was holding him back. He would soon find out who, why and when he'd finally get to make a new friend. Luckily, that time was today, the last day of school.

Liam and Lexi Jones, twins, were born December 6 of 1999. Their brown hair and green eyes resembled their shy, very afraid mother but they did not resemble their abusive step fathers. These kids, though they've gone to a high class prep school since they were ten, weren't living that kind of life at home. Their step father would often try to beat them, but their mother would always protect them and take the beatings for them. This made her sad and scared and pretty much to the point where she refused to talk to anyone- even her own children. They only had one friend, Kalvin, a boy with the same condition as Route. Though these kids and Rebecca and Ricardo went to different schools, Route and Kalvin knew each other. In fact, they went way back.

Liam and Lexi were, as far as they knew it, Kalvin's only friends, though. He was always around them, always wanting to be in the loop. He often stayed at their home, which stopped the beatings for those nights. He even helped them out with their problems, though Liam and Lexi had never told Kalvin of what was happening to them when he wasn't there. He always looked at them with such devotion and loyalty, surely that would be taken away if he knew about the issues of their home, right?

Madison Cater, or Maddie as she's known by her friends, is a different case. She was born January 5 of 2000. She has blonde hair and very bright blue eyes like her mother. Her mother is all she's ever known in her life. She never had a male figure around in her life, so she was never a daddy's girl. She used gymnastics, dance and cheer to take her mind off those things. Being an amazing tumbler, dancer and flyer didn't always feel the empty void she had in her heart, though. Her mom would often tell her that her dad loved her and that he'd be there to get her one day. She'd always think _well, where is he now_? Her two best friends, Isabelle and Spring, were often there for her when she talked about things like this.

Isabelle Reynolds, or Izzy, was born January 10, 2000. She has chocolate brown hair and sea green eyes. She is often cast in the shadow of her older brother, Samuel, and her older sister, Jane. She looked nothing like them, with their black hair and brown eyes, like her mother, and definitely didn't have their brains. They were always getting prizes for being smart, and here she was with dyslexia and AdHd, like her friend Madison. Madison and her would often study before Isabelle has swim practice or they had cheer practice. Madison seemed to be the only real person, besides Spring, that was there for her. Because of this, Isabelle felt alone most times.

She wasn't alone, none of the kids were alone. They never were. They all had one big thing in common with them- they should have never been born.


	2. The Manhattan High Attack

**The Manhattan High Attack**

* * *

Rebecca sat up in her bed, turning off her alarm clock. God, did she hate that forsaken piece of technology. She mindlessly got up and went to shower. After showering, brushing her teeth and blow drying her hair, she put on some black and red Nike shorts and a red tee shirt. She slipped on some Nikes and looked in the mirror, deciding to throw her curly hair up in a messy bun. _It would just have to do_, she told herself. She ran downstairs and to the kitchen where Holly and Brandon met her. They were already at the table, eating a breakfast that Holly cooked. She hated having Holly cook her breakfast. Even though they'd raised her since she was a toddler, she always felt like she was imposing on them.

"Good morning, dear." Brandon said. The way she thought about it, he sounded like a pedophile.

Maybe it was abandonment issues, but she felt that he shouldn't call her things like dear because he wasn't her real father. She knew it was selfish and very ungrateful, but maybe they didn't want her either? Her real parents didn't want her so why would complete strangers?

"Yeah. Morning." She replied, sipping orange juice. She made a face at the horrible flavor in her mouth. Of course, she'd brushed her teeth. How had she forgotten?

"Oh, dear, i'm sorry the match got cancelled. You don't have to go to school today, you know." Holly told her for the millionth time since last night when her archery match got cancelled.

"No, Holly, I want to go. I mean, I need something to do today." Rebecca shrugged.

It sort of always bothered them how Rebecca never called them mom and dad, not since she was ten anyway, but they never said anything. They knew she was grateful and glad to be with them, they knew she loved their son, Luke, and they knew she was happy to be apart of the family, but it was always something that would bother them.

"Alright, well, I'll meet you in the car." Holly smiled.

Rebecca nodded and put her plate and glass up. She went outside with her backpack and climbed into the passenger seat. Holly had always dropped her off at school on her way to work. The routine was simple. The'd eat, and Rebecca would wait in the car while Holly made a second cup of coffee and then she'd kiss Brandon good-bye. She would then come to the car and Brandon would exit the house as the pulled out the drive way to get to his own truck. Rebecca would listen to her iPod all the way to school. She would hug Holly good bye and most times would walk into the building with Luke, but he was way with his friends for the rest of summer.

"_It must be awesome to have a license._" Rebecca thought, listening to her iPod as they passed a Wendy's. Since her older adoptive brother, Luke, turned sixteen, he was never home. He was always out with his friends and his slutty girlfriend who often cracked jokes at Rebecca. Holly had told Rebecca that Luke wanting a sister precisely three years younger than him at six was what made them adopt her. She was the first and the last child they looked at. Luke hadn't stopped holding her hand.

Oddly enough, to Rebecca, there couldn't be anyone in the world that Luke hated more than her. Every time his girlfriend cracked a joke, he was right there laughing along with her. He couldn't stand the sight of her, probably. Rebecca never knew why he hated her. She'd never done anything to him. In fact, up until she was ten, they were inseparable. Now, he barely talked to her and avoided her at all cost. Rebecca got out of the car after absently hugging Holly. She listened to her music all the way until she reached the school hallway. She was met by Route. Route was a pale boy with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes.

He smiled at Rebecca and pointed to Ricardo.

"You know, Becky-" He was stopped as she sent him the deadliest glare he'd ever seen. "I mean, Becca- I think today could be the day. You and Rico are going to talk."

Rebecca glanced at the tall boy in blue and black putting his things away in his locker and laughed.

"No way. The only time a boy besides you would talk to me would be when I'm dying. And that boy would be my doctor, I shit you not." Rebecca said, rolling her eyes and dismissing the thought.

"What ever, Becks."

"For crying out loud, Route-" She paused, punching him hard in the arm, "just Becca! Or even Rebecca!"

"O.K, O.K. Gods, you hit like a man."

"Asshole."

"You swear like one, too."

"Shut up!"

Their playful arguing had attracted the attention of Ricardo. He paused, taking his attention from his locker, and looked in their direction. It didn't bother him that they were friends, Route even tried to make them talk, but it just wasn't the right time. Not yet. Rebecca, drawn from her laughter, caught his eye. It was silver on brown. They were gazing at each other, curiously. Ricardo, thinking about speaking, covered his ears as the shrill whistle of the bell ringing echoed in his ears. Obviously, this wasn't the time to talk, either.

Rebecca, staring at him just a moment longer, walked off to her class with Route, Ricardo behind them. They all had first period gym, which is why they walked the same direction. Along the way, she got side tracked and zoned out, though nothing was really going on around her. They'd made it in the gym, having a substitute coach for the day. Rebecca, Route and Ricardo all sat their things down on the bleachers and Route took a seat beside them. He never rubbed it in Rebecca's face, but he was glad he wasn't able to participate in the activities that they have to.

The substitute, Coach Krash, told everyone to run five laps. Rebecca groaned in protest with most of the other kids. The coach glared harder at her than most other kids. They'd began running and then started a game of dodge ball. Rebecca was great at sports. She had the agility and reflexes of a cat. Plus, she had great aim. Her team, which included Ricardo, had won.

"Calitas and Garcia, I'm gonna need you two to stay for a minute." Coach told them as the bell rang.

Route was looking curiously at the man and decided to hide behind the bleachers. Rebecca and Ricardo looked at each other and then back to the coach. They approached him cautiously.

"Coach, if-" Rebecca's sentenced died down on her as Ricardo grabbed her shoulders. She looked and saw her teacher turning into a dragon. She yelped, jumping and bumping into Ricardo. Ricardo looked around and grabbed her wrist, noticing some of the archery equipment. He dragged her to it and handed it to her. Just as he was about to speak, they heard Route.

"Shoot it! It might not work but shoot it!" Route yelled.

Rebecca nodded and started shooting arrows at the monster, only to have it laugh, if dragons laugh, and spew fire at her. Ricardo tackled her out of the way and they landed with a thud. She'd had a good grip, so she held her bow. She stood, helping Ricardo, and threw the bow down. It wasn't working and it wasn't going to.

"Not working, Route!" She screamed, getting frantic.

The dragon extended his arm, hitting her and sending her into a wall. Route rushed over to her, but it was obvious she was unconscious. Ricardo stared helplessly at her still body. Was she dead? A source of light blazed for a second in the boys bathroom and a tall man with tanned skin, blonde hair and blue eyes walked in.

"You know," he began, boredom seeping in his voice, "we aren't suppose to help you guys, but rules are so boring."

A bow materialized in his hands as well as a quiver of arrows on his back. He notched an arrow, aiming, and shot it. A loud frequency emitted from it before it hit the dragon. The dragon dispersed into golden dust and fell on the ground. The man walked over to Rebecca and knelt beside her.

"Who are you?" Ricardo asked, dying to know.

"Apollo."

He began humming a song and his hands glowed. Rebecca's eyes opened and she eyed him down.

"Um-"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Apollo and your doctor."

"See, Route? I told you. The only man to ever talk to me would be a doctor when I'm dy-"

"Are you O.K? And how'd you do that, Apollo?" Ricardo interrupted.

Rebecca never imagined hearing him speak, much less the first sentence being about her or her health, but she nodded anyway. She then remembered how he'd saved her. Why did he do that?

"I'm Apollo, I'm an amazing and sexy god. I healed her because I'm the god of healers."

"Good to know."

With that, Ricardo collapsed on the floor.

"Not much of a protector are you, Route?" Apollo smirked.


	3. The New York Prep Bus Attack

**The New York Prep Bus Attack**

* * *

Liam and Lexi had waken up to yelling. Their step father was screaming names at their mother and she was screaming that she was sorry. Liam and Lexi, since their step father didn't really finance them in anyway, had had to sleep in the same bed. Lexi, tears building in her eyes, turned to her brother. He pulled her into a hug, trying his best to cover her ears. He knew she was crying. She always cried when they woke up to arguing.

"You were suppose to have the damn breakfast ready!" Donny, their step father, screamed at her.

"I-I'm sorry. I'll have it ready in a few minutes. I-"

There was a loud smacking noise. Liam knew he'd slapped her. He always got angry when he hit her but Lexi would never let him do anything. She knew he wanted to go and take up for their mom, so she hugged him tighter. Liam, still upset, sat up with Lexi.

"Come on." He said, walking to the closet, "We have to get ready for school."

Lexi got up and walked to the closet, which had been their only place to put clothes. They each had to use boxes for underclothing and socks. Liam went outside the door, about to make his way to the bathroom, when Donny walked across him. Still angry and wanting to take it out on someone, Donny pushed Liam into a wall. Liam was already upset about him hitting his mother and this only made it worse. He turned quickly, punching Donny in the face. Donny slapped him and Liam kneed him between the legs. Donny fell to his knees and Liam kneed him in the chin, causing his head to go back. Donny fell on his side and Liam walked in the bathroom to change into his school outfit.

When he got back out, Donny wasn't in the hallway. He walked back into his room to find him, trying to talk to Lexi in a perverted way. He was trailing his hand on her arm and she looked scared. Liam didn't like him touching his sister like that. Liam walked over and pushed him away, pulling Lexi to him. She was already fully dressed in her school attire. Lexi hugged him tightly, thankful that he came at the right time.

"If it's not too much of a problem, we'll be going to school, now." Liam said, glaring at Donny.

He turned around and grabbed their backpacks, then Lexi's hand, and ran out of the room. He passed his mother in the kitchen and had to stop.

"Just to let you know, I got into a physical fight with your husband. Guess I'd tell you that since you don't even talk to us. What happened to loving us? If you loved us, we wouldn't be here." Liam said, finding anger towards his mother.

"I-I do love you. He's been good to us. He- Don't worry. You'll be getting away for a little while and when you come back, he won't be here." Their mother whispered, but they were already out of the house.

They ran to the bus stop and waited for the bus to come and pick them up and take them to school. They'd have to wait a little longer than usual since they were early today. Kalvin was walking and talking on his phone. They could just make out a little of his conversation.

"What do you mean today's gonna be the day?" He was asking. "Well, yeah, but nothing happened last year... alright, alright. I'm prepared. You should let Route know-" he saw Liam and Lexi watching him. "Um, hey, I gotta go. Yeah, bye."

Kalvin, a tanned boy with brown hair and blue eyes, stopped and smiled at the twins. They didn't smile back. They only looked away. They didn't want to tell Kalvin about what happened. They still wanted to be his friend. If they told him, then surely it would change everything. Kalvin put his hands on their shoulders.

"Liam..." Lexi began, wanting to tell him, but the bus was there.

"Come on, guys, time for school." Kalvin said, patting their shoulders and leading them on the bus.

They got on the bus and sat in the very back. They were the only stop for at least ten minutes. The bus driver stopped the bus and slowly stood in his seat. The twins thought it might be something wrong with the bus, but Kalvin knew better. The bus driver, a big man, walked to the back with a sickly grin on his face. _What was he thinking about that made him smile that way_, Lexi wondered. She prayed she didn't find out. The giant man began to change into an actual giant. Lexi screamed and Liam pulled her into him, scooting away. Kalvin pulled out two knives with golden blades and jumped on their seat. The giant then came to the seat and Kalvin stabbed its arm.

Golden blood ran down the giant's arm as it let out a loud growl that sounded sort of close to a scream. Kalvin stabbed it again in its head and grabbed Lexi's wrist. She was already grabbing Liam's hand, so they ran out of the bus and in the opposite direction.

"What the hell was that?" Liam asked, panting and out of breath.

"A giant." Kalvin replied.

They were running back to the twin's home.

"Why are we going to our house?" Lexi asked, almost stumbling.

"To tell your mom that we're leaving." Kalvin replied.

He was carrying his crutches as he ran.

"Who are you?" Liam asks as they reach their home.

"Your protector." Kalvin responded, opening the door. "Mrs. Jones!"

Kalvin had always called her by her maiden name, never by 'Ms. Undergo'.

"What is it?" She asked, running in.

"They have to leave. Now."

"Now?"

"Right now."

She turned to her two children.

"I told you you'd get out of here soon." She smiled.


	4. The Attack in Washington Prep High

**The Attack In Washington Prep High**

* * *

Madison woke up rather groggily. She rolled off her bed, landing on Isabelle who had stayed the night. Isabelle, a very light sleeper, almost had a heart attack. Madison, still half a sleep, let out a weak laugh, causing Isabelle to join in. After they were done, they both took turns showering, then got ready for school. Madison brushed her curly blonde hair while Isabelle brushed her curly brown hair. They got ready in silence, both too tired to speak. Once they were ready, they walked down stairs for breakfast. Madison's mom had made homemade breakfast burritos, bacon, pancakes and set out orange juice. Her mom was already gone for work, though.

The girls sat down and ate quietly, Madison turning on the t.v. Washington Prep, which was in New York, started later than most schools. It also ended earlier. The t.v was already showing the news about some psycho teacher trying to kill his students in gym and a bus driver that vanished, along with three students. Isabelle, watching, choked on her breakfast burrito.

"It's sick what some people do." She commented, recomposing herself.

"I agree." Madison said, intently watching the news while eating her breakfast.

There was a knock on the door and Madison got up and went to it. She opened it to find a girl with wavy black hair and pale blue eyes. It was Spring. Spring had a few elfish features. She had pointed ears and very fair skin. Spring walked in and they went to the kitchen. Spring sat down at her chair and ate the vegetarian breakfast burrito that Madison's mom had made specially for her. She ate her pancakes as well, watching the news with the other two girls. She knew the true stories behind both reports. She lost her appetite and slightly pushed her plate in front of her. She sighed, looking at her two friends. The two friends she was suppose to be protecting.

"Something on your mind, Spring?" Madison asked, eating more of her breakfast. Spring looked at her friend nervously and shook her head.

"It's nothing. I guess I just don't like watching the news." She replied, turning away from the t.v and taking a sip of her orange juice.

Madison and Isabelle, who never brushed their teeth before breakfast, got up and went to the bathroom. Spring, who had already brushed her teeth, just got up and turned the t.v off. She'd warned Kalvin that something was going to happened. Why didn't he listen? He never listened. Of course she'd tried and tried to call Route to warn him but he didn't answer. He never answers her calls anymore. She made one decision and it changed everything between them completely. Now, she believed he pretty much hated her. She sighed, totally bored with everything that was going on, and walked to the refrigerator. She supposed it was time to call both Madison and Isabelle's moms.

She picked up the house phone, dialing Isabelle's first. Isabelle's mother answer on the fifth ring.

"Hello?" She asked, clearing her throat.

"Hey, this is Spring. I just wanted to let you-"

"Oh my God. She's still alive isn't she?"

"Yes! Yes. Yes, she's still alive. But today is probably the day, so I have to let you know this just in case we have to hurry and get to the camp."

"Alright, well thank you, Spring. But I should get back to Jane's dance recital. Bye, Spring! Send Izzy my love."

With that, the woman hung up. Of course she'd be in a hurry for Jane. Jane, being fifteen, was the golden daughter. Her and her brother, Samuel who was 17, practically wiped out Isabelle. They didn't mean to, Spring knew that, but their parents are just too full of pride over the two of them that they don't know how to be proud of Isabelle. Hell, her father would probably divorce her mother if she knew that she'd had an affair with a god. Spring chuckled at that before dialing Madison's mom.

"Hello-" Spring began, but was stopped.

"He did it, Spring! That guy I told you I was secretly dating? He did it! I said yes! And turns out, his older son is a demigod like Maddie! Oh, I'm in heaven." Madison's mom gushed. Spring could feel herself smiling as she squealed. Madison would finally not one male figure, but two in her life!

"Oh my gods! How long have you two been dating?" Spring asks, quietly.

"Three years. Maddie didn't know because I didn't want to just drag her into it. I want to tell her today-"

"We might be leaving today, so you can tell her in the car."

"Oh, my. Are her and Izzy going to be O.K?" Madison and Isabelle's moms both knew about each girl. It's how they became friends.

"Yeah. I'm already loaded and everything. Izzy's mom knows, and now so do you. You might want to come home. It could get ugly pretty fast. Bring the new man candy and his son, too. We can take his son with us."

"Alright."

Spring quickly hung up and Madison and Isabelle came down the stairs. They were the same height, Spring being just a few inches taller and a little skinnier than the two.

"Ready?" Madison asked, fixing her uniform skirt.

"Yeah, let's go and get this over with." Spring said, happily.

**~X~X~X~**

Once they arrived at school, Spring took in all of the escape routes. She turned to her friends and took a deep breath. She was going to have to be alert all day. They walked to Science class together in silence. Isabelle was zoning out, Madison was texting and Spring was planning out battle strategies in her head. It paid to stalk the kids of Athena, sometimes. They entered Science and took their seats in the very back. The substitute, Ms. Dru, seemed to eye them as they sat. Ms. Dru was an old, frail looking woman. She had a sneer on her face. Madison and Isabelle, who were too busy talking to each other, didn't seem to notice. However, Spring noticed big time.

Class had begun and the teacher had put on some sort of movie about Science. It was a basic guide to the development of Science and it was so basic that it put Madison and Isabelle to sleep. Spring wanted to fall asleep, but she had to stay awake to make sure that this substitute wasn't a monster. Spring pulled out her bottle of water, getting severely dehydrated. Though she wasn't a water nymph, she still liked water. The class had ended and the substitute had still kept her glares on Madison and Isabelle, who had just woken up.

"Madison and Isabelle, I need you two to stay a minute." Ms. Dru said.

"Sure thing." Isabelle said, standing with her bag.

Spring got up and reluctantly walked out. Ms. Dru slammed the door shut after her. She placed her hand on the door knob and tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Ms. Dru had locked her out. She could see what was going on in the class by the window that was above the door handle, though. On the inside of the class, Ms. Dru was talking to Isabelle and Madison.

"You shouldn't fall asleep." Ms. Dru said.

"Well... we um..." Isabelle was a terrible liar.

"Things could be stolen from you, daughter of Poseidon. Like how you stole Zeus' bolt for your father!" Ms. Dru then burst out of her skin and became a creature with leathery skin and wings.

"Oh my God!" Madison screamed.

"Stay out of this, no one wants to hurt you, daughter of-"

Their was a sound of glass breaking and the noise of a door opening. Spring walked into the classroom, holding two short swords with golden blades.

"You wanna play, fury? Come after the protector." Spring said, glaring.

The fury charged Spring and she sliced off her head. A second after her head got sliced, she burst into golden dust.

"Holy hell, Spring-"

"No time, Maddie, we have to get to your house. Your mom is waiting-"

She stopped when she saw Madison's mom pulling up outside the window in the class.

"Um, Spring, my mom is-"

"Yeah, I know, let's go."

Spring grabbed her friend's wrists and dragged them out to the car. Madison's mom was in the drivers seat, a man with brown hair was in the passenger seat and a boy with blonde hair was in the backseat.

"Who are they?" Madison asks, climbing in first and sitting beside the boy. Isabelle climbed in next and lastly was Spring. Since they were all pretty fair in built, except the boy who had muscles, they fit perfectly.

"Um, honey, I have to tell you a lot." Madison's mother began, driving. She'd explained that she already signed all three girls out of school.

"O.K, well please explain because I would love to hear why the hell-"

"Madison!" Her mother gasped.

"Why the hell that damn thing just attacked us!" Madison continued, anyway. The boy beside her laughed quietly. He cast a glance her way and nodded at her.

"Honey, I'm getting married."

"What!"

"You see, Vince and I have been dating three years in secret and he asked me to marry him today and I said yes. Oh, and that's his son, your step brother, Aiden. He's got gifts like you do and-"

"Whoa. Three years? In secret? Dating? Married?! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to drag you into it. I know how you feel about your dad being-"

"Maybe I've wanted a dad for years, mom. Why would I not want to know about it? I finally get to have a normal family and no one tells me?!"

"Well, um," Aiden begins, looking at his new step sister, "we aren't exactly a normal family. You, and I aren't normal. In fact, four out of the six people in the car are not normal."


	5. Camp Half-Blood

**Camp Half-Blood**

* * *

Madison's new step brother hadn't told them anything else after that. Now, they were pulling up to a summer camp that Aiden said would benefit them magnificently. Literally. In those same words. The way he talked, over using big words, made her want to stab herself in the eye. Isabelle, on the other hand, had seemed to like big words. In another car, pulling up to the camp just behind them, was Kalvin, Liam and Lexi. A light flashed to their left, and a man with three people appeared. They didn't know, but that man was Apollo and those three people were Rebecca, Ricardo and Route. Madison, Isabelle, Aiden, Spring, Lexi, Liam, and Kalvin all got out of their vehicles and walked over to each other. Rebecca, Route and Ricardo walked to them as well. Madison, not knowing what came over her, grabbed Aiden's hand.

She hated to be around too many people at once. She felt claustrophobic and anxious. Aiden shot her a weird look but out of no where, his eyes cleared and he lightly gripped her hand back. If she were crazy, she'd say he read her mind. Ricardo gave her and Aiden an odd look. Then, all of the cars pulled out and Apollo walked into camp.

"Boyfriend and girlfriend?" He asked, pointing at their hands.

"Wow. I've known him for three years and he just spoke to me today. He's known them two seconds and he's the first to speak." Rebecca thought. Aiden laughed quietly to himself. Maybe it was the couple reference, or maybe it was Rebecca's thoughts.

"Actually, no. She's my sister. Step." Aiden said. "She gets nervous around people."

"How did you-" Madison was about to ask how he knew, until Spring cut in.

"Well, hello everyone, I'm Spring and I'm a-"

"Oh shut up, Spring. They don't know anything about who they are so why do they want to here you blab your mouth off about yourself?" Route snapped. Spring flinched, visibly.

"Hey, you don't have to be such an ass!" Liam snapped at Route. He'd had about enough of men mistreating women.

"They use to date." Aiden said.

"Shut up, Aiden, no one asked you." Route snapped.

"You two know each other? And, hey! Don't talk to my-"

"We should go see Chiron." Kalvin cut in, feeling a migraine coming on from the arguing.

"O.K." A few in the group mumbled, following him inside the camp borders, over the hill and past a sleeping dragon.

Inside the camp, there were tons of different training areas, a dining pavilion, a big blue house, a lake, woods, cabins, strawberry fields and more. Kalvin led the group to the big, blue house, mumbling something about being the youngest but more mature. They walked into the house and he led them to a back room where two men were sitting around a table, playing a card game. One man was short and fat, wearing a floral shirt and hideous leopard shorts. The other was a taller more lean-built man in a wheel chair with his legs covered by a blanket. He looked up from his game and nodded at the children.

"We've been expecting you." He said, solemnly.

"Did we do something bad?" Madison asked, quietly.

"No, no- Hey, why are you here, Aiden?" The man asked.

"She's my step sister. Our parents are engaged now and we just met today. I really want to spend time with her and I promised my dad and her mom I'd watch her at camp." He answered.

"Ah, well, we have to talk with them in private. I need you, Spring, Route and Kalvin to wait outside, please." He said. Aiden and the others nodded, then left. The man turned to the remaining six children. "You shouldn't be here."

"Well, we were kind of forced here." Ricardo said, rolling his eyes.

"No, boy, I mean you shouldn't exist!"

It was quiet. All of the air in the room seemed to thicken.

"But-" Lexi was silenced by the man raising his hand.

"But. I am glad that you do exist, even if it means a war. You are still demigods and I will still make sure you stay alive. I am Chiron. Now, I must explain what we know. We know that there are two children of Pan here, one child of Poseidon, one of Hades, one of Zeus and one of Artemis. There hasn't been a child of the big three in decades and there has never been children of Pan of Artemis. We don't know which ones are which, yet, but you will be claimed. You've been discovered at a dangerous time, children. There is a war coming. Not only because of your existence, but because of the way the gods are dealing with it. They're having their children steal weapons, and they're killing mortals who have demigod children. Especially mortal women and men who have children that aren't suppose to be here. Now, we're going to show you a video, and then we'll get you settled in."

After a three and a half long video, the children were allowed to go out and meet other campers. Madison and Isabelle went off to the lake, wanting to sit there. They met two boys there. One had brown hair and brightly colored green eyes, while the other had blonde hair and gray eyes like Aiden.

"Hi, who are you." The boy who had blonde hair asked.

"Madison. This is Isabelle." Madison answered, unsure of her last name anymore. Of course it would be changed.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Aaron and this is Eric." The brown haired boy answered. "I'm a son of Hermes and he's a son of Athena. Who are your parents?"

"We don't know." Isabelle answered.

Lexi and Liam had run off to the strawberry patches, meeting the kids of Dionysus and a few of Demeter. They met two sons of Dionysus, Alex and Noah, a daughter of Dionysus, Kayla, and a daughter of Demeter, Layla. Kayla was only seven. Alex and Noah both had blonde hair and violet eyes since they were twins, too. Layla had black hair and green eyes. Rebecca had went off to the infirmary where she saw Apollo talking to a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She walked over to them, to thank him.

"Hey, I didn't thank you earlier. I'm sorry. Thank you." She said.

"No problem. Hey, Rebecca, this is my daughter Danielle. Danielle, this is Rebecca." Apollo said, introducing them.

Ricardo had went off to the weaponry, wanting to meet people there. He found a Latino boy with brown hair and brown eyes. He learned that they were the same age and that his name was Tony.

"I'm a son of Hephaestus." Tony said, wiping his forehead.

"Cool. I don't know who my parent is. I hope it isn't Artemis." Ricardo chuckled, earning a laugh from Tony.

"She'd kick your ass, bro. I've met her. She despises men. I doubt she'd save one."

"What do you mean save?"

"She'd never have her own baby, bro. She probably saved one of the girls when they were an animal and it turned them human. It'd be the only possible way."

"Ah, I see."

Everyone had hit it off with their friends, then got settled in the Hermes cabin. They all went to the dining pavilion, ready to eat. Chiron had made a toast to them, and then they stood to offer their food to the gods. Once they were done, reed pipes appeared above both Lexi and Liam. A trident appeared over Isabelle's.

"Hail Lexi and Liam Jones and Isabelle Reynolds. Son and daughter of Pan and daughter of Poseidon!" Chiron called out.

People bowed and some others even applauded. They got moved into their cabins, leaving the last three to wait it out until they're claimed.


	6. The Second Claimings

**The Second Claimings**

* * *

Rebecca and Ricardo had gotten plenty of sleep. However, Madison did not. She'd stayed up late, talking to Aaron and getting to know him better. She'd found out that this was his second year at camp. He was even wearing a bead necklace, though it only had one bead. The bead had a sail boat painted on it. Madison also learned more about his home life. His mother had passed away two years and his step father took care of him until he came to camp and told him he was better off on his own. Now, he stays at camp all year. Madison sort of wished she hadn't stayed up til three talking to him because it was now seven in the morning and they had to get up. Rebecca got out of her sleeping bag and tripped over it. She fell on top of Ricardo, causing him to wake up. He mumbled something incoherent before waking up.

"Rebecca," he began, sitting up, "why are you on me?"

"I fell." She answered, getting off of him.

"Oh. Well, I'm hungry." He said, getting up and going to his bag. He picked out a few clothes and kept looking through his bag and he let out a low sigh. "We're in the cabin of thieves. Of course. You know, I wasn't planning on using that, it was in there on accident, but if one of you get lucky, I hope it busts."

Rebecca and Madison started laughing as a boy with dark brown hair and serpent green eyes walked over to them. He was dressed in a serpent green camp shirt with it tucked into some beige khakis that was supported by a brown belt. He was wearing red converse. He placed a hand on each girls shoulder and smiled at them.

"Hey, I'm Emanuel Laterson, and I'm the cabin counselor for Hermes' children. That's because I'm the oldest. I'm eighteen, if you're wondering. I only have two more years here. Anyway, why don't I take you to meet the other cabin counselors? Come on." He said, leading them out of the cabin.

They walked out to a small little building that looked like a meeting place. Once they walked in, they saw nine other people in there. They were all boys. One was Aiden, wearing a dullish gray camp shirt and the same kind of khakis as Emanuel and the other boys. He waved at Madison who waved back. One boy, in a pale red camp shirt and a red converse, had dark brown hair and very blue eyes. A boy in a brown camp shirt and green converse had chocolate brown hair and forest green eyes. The boy to the right of him had light brown hair and pale blue eyes. He was dressed in a maroon camp shirt and had on Nike's. The boy next to him had on a bright yellow camp shirt, yellow converse and he had blonde hair and blue eyes. The boy on the end had on a bright red shirt and had black hair and blue eyes.

Lastly, in between him and the other boy, were two twins. They were probably the youngest because they were slightly shorter than the rest. They both had blonde hair and violet eyes. They were wearing grape colored camp shirts and purple DC shoes.

"Hey, I'm Bradly Clark. I'm eighteen and I'm the son and cabin counselor of Aphrodite. Nice to meet you." The boy with the pale red shirt said.

"I like your hair." Rebecca replied. His hair was bushy, but managed.

"Thank you. I like your eyes." He said, referring to how silver they were.

"That's a first." She mumbled.

"Hey, I'm Johnathan Valley but you can call me John. I'm seventeen and I'm the son and cabin counselor of Demeter." The boy in the brown shirt said.

"I'm Colton Layton and I'm sixteen. I'm the son of Ares, and I'm the cabin counselor of Ares." The boy in the maroon shirt said.

"Sup, I'm Logan Maze and I'm seventeen. I'm the son of Apollo and the camp counselor for him." The boy in the yellow shirt said. He grabbed Madison's hand and tried to kiss it, but she yanked it back.

"Nice to meet you." She said, wiping her hand on her shorts.

"The pleasure's mine, dear." He winked, stepping back beside Aiden who slapped him in the back of the head.

"Hi, I'm Ian Ryan and I'm seventeen. I'm the son of Hephaestus and the cabin counselor." The boy in the bright red shirt said.

"So, that leaves us. Hey, we're Alex and Noah Latterly and we're fifteen. We're twins of Dionysus and we're the cabin counselors." One of the boys in the grape colored shirt said. His hair was gelled up while the other boy left his down and flippy. "I'm Alex and that's Noah."

"O.K, now that everyone's-" Johnathan was cut off by a knock on the door. The door opened to reveal a girl with curly blonde hair and gray eyes.

"Yes, I know I interrupted some important meeting and I'm sincerely sorry. Well, I'm not sorry but I'll say I am, anyway. I have to speak to Ian, please?"

"Hey, Maisy." Aiden said.

"Shut up. You ruined my project last night. Don't talk to me." The girl said, causing Aiden to chuckle. Ian walked over to her and she grabbed his hand, then walked off.

"Your sister has him whipped, Aiden." Logan laughed.

"That she does. I feel bad for him. Sometimes I listen in on them through-" His eyes caught Madison's and he stopped. "You get the point, right? It isn't pretty."

Logan follows his gaze.

"Oh, your step sister doesn't know?" He asks.

"No, and she doesn't need to just yet."

"I'm right here, you know." Madison sighed.

"Yeah, sorry." Aiden smiled. Once more, there was a knock on the door. A girl with lightly colored brown hair and big brown eyes walked in. She had freckles across her nose and she was slightly pale, other than that, she was sort of pretty.

"Hey, Natalie." Emanuel smiled. The girl smiled back and they hugged. He placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Hey, I have the new- oh, hi." She said, smiling at the two girls.

"Hi." Rebecca and Madison chimed together.

"I'm Natalie, daughter of Hephaestus."

"I'm Rebecca, daughter of- well, I don't know."

"And, I'm Madison, daughter of-"

"Zeus." Aiden said.

"What?" Madison asked.

"The claiming just happened. You're the daughter of Zeus."

**~X~X~X~**

After meeting a few more people, Rebecca ditched them and went to the archery range. She grabbed a bow and some arrows, then began shooting at targets. Ricardo walked up to her and picked up a bow and some arrows. He tried to shoot a target but it missed and hit a tree. Rebecca started laughing.

"I meant to do that." Ricardo lied.

"No you didn't. Here, watch me." She said. She took her stance, pulled the bow string and leveled her chin. She took a deep breath and shot. It hit the center of the bulls-eye.

"Whoa. You're really good." Ricardo said, trying to imitate her. He hit the five point mark.

"You have to aim." She laughed.

"Oh. I suck at this."

She set down her bow and put the arrows away. Ricardo followed her lead.

"Would you like to try sword fighting?" She asked.

"Yeah, I might be better at that." He said.

They walked to the arena and each picked up a practice sword. There were a few people around them practicing. One was Alex and the other was a girl around her age. She'd seen her in the Hermes cabin and she had brown hair and pale blue eyes. She was winning. Rebecca turned back to Ricardo and they took stances. He swung and she blocked, quickly. She pushed his sword away and tried to slash his chest, but he brought his sword up and blocked it. He pushed hers back, sending it flying out of her hand. He swung at her, and she ducked. She ran to her sword and swung at his face, cutting off a little bit of his bangs. He swung at her, low, and she turned her sword down to block it. He swung at her, and when she blocked, he disarmed her and held his sword at her neck.

"O.K." Rebecca said. "I suck at sword fighting."

Ricardo laughed and a helm appeared above his head. Rebecca went to her knees. She didn't know what it meant, but it was a claiming.

"Hey, you're a son of Hades." The girl with brown hair said. "I'm Brook by the way. I'm the only daughter of Hermes."

"I'm Ricardo. Son of, well, Hades. And this is Rebecca. She doesn't know yet."

But Rebecca did. It was the only one left.

"She's the daughter of Artemis. An arrow shooting through a moon just appeared about her head." Alex said.

"Well, we've all been claimed, now." Ricardo smiled.


	7. Announcements

**Announcements**

* * *

Madison's mother had lead up a very good life for her, always able to afford most of the luxury she'd wanted. Now, adding her new fiance to the picture, they both had more than enough money to do almost anything they wanted. That had included marrying just a few days later. The announcement was made in front of the whole camp, via Iris Message.

"Honey- the wedding is in three days. All of the campers are invited." He mother chimed. Aiden put his arm around his new sister's shoulders and grinned.

"That's amazing, Linda- er, mom." Aiden said, correcting himself. "I'm sure the whole camp is excited for a few field trips- right, everyone?"

Cheers erupted from the crowd around them. There weren't too many kids here, reasons being that most died a few years prior after a war between the demigods. The gods weren't involved, only demigods. Hundreds died, leaving only about forty in their place.

"I could use a few bridesmaids and-"

Hands shot in the air.

"Oh, my." Madison chuckled.

"Go ahead and choose a few. They can each choose a groomsman." Her mother said. "Well, I have to go. Love you both."

With that, her mother's image vanished. Madison turned to the campers.

"Um, Izzy, Spring, Becca, Lexi umm... you, you, you and you." She said, pointing to Danielle, Brook, Layla and Sonny, a daughter of Apollo.

"Well, I'm an automatic groomsman, and I need a counterpart. Sonny, you don't mind, do you?" Aiden asked, causing the girl to blush.

"No, no problem." She said, looking away. "I love weddings."

"Um, Aaron... you wouldn't mind... would you?" Madison asked, not knowing any other guys.

"No way. I like weddings. Not as much as Sonny might, but weddings are cool. Is it O.K if Eric is a groomsman, too?"

"Sure, I'll be his counterpart." Isabelle shrugged.

"I want to be a groomsman!" Both Dionysus' twins shouted.

"I can take Noah, I guess." Lexi said, blushing.

"I'll take you, Alex." Brook said. Liam looked out of place, and Layla smiled at him.

"Hey, I can take you." Layla said, happily.

"I'll take Toby." Danielle said, pointing to the Latino boy, causing him to blush.

"Well all of you have fun. I'm not going. I hate weddings." Ricardo said, crushing Rebecca. She didn't know anyone else and she was going to ask him to be her groomsman counterpart. She turned to a boy with black hair and brown eyes. He was frowning.

"Hi." She said, walking up to him and away from Ricardo. Ricardo, noticing the movement, turned and saw her walk off. Why was she near him, then?

"Hey. Aren't you one of those bridesgirls?" He asked, cocking his head slightly and furrowing his brows in question.

"Yeah," she giggled, "I um-"

"I don't see why everyone likes weddings." He said, looking away.

_"Great. He doesn't like them either?"_ She thought, but said "Oh, that's a shame. I was going to ask you to be the groomsman."

He raised an eyebrow at her. He looked at her, really looked at her, and cracked a smile.

"Well, they can't be all that bad. I'm Charles, son of Ares." He said, extending his arm to shake her hand. "I saw you sword fighting that son of Hades. I was sure you would have asked him, since you're friends."

"Yeah, well, I doubt he'd say yes. We don't really know each other."

"You didn't even know my name, but you asked me."

"Me not knowing your name is exactly why it's O.K to be embarrassed if you would have said no."

The boy laughed and she smiled. She felt eyes on her and turned to her right, just catching Ricardo as he turned his head. She turned back to the boy and smiled.

"I'm Becca, by the way. I'm-"

"Daughter of Artemis? I was there when you got claimed. You truly are unique. You have her eyes." He said, reaching out and touching Rebecca's cheek bone. Rebecca didn't know why, but she blushed.

"I'll see you around?" She asked, wanting to get away before she embarrassed herself.

"Of course you will." He smiled. "Maybe one day we can sword fight?" He asked, grinning.

"I'll let you know, I'm not much of a challenge." She laughed, turning and going back to her small group.

She was still smiling when she looked at Ricardo, but her smile faded when she saw the look in his eyes. Was he ashamed of her? Was he chastising her in his mind? Why did he care anyway? Before she could ask, he turned his head and looked out at the lake. Of course he'd do that. She sighed and tuned in on the wedding plans.

**~X~X~X~**

After dinner, when everyone was getting ready for the first game of Capture the Flag all summer, Chiron had burst through the armory doors and told everyone to take a seat on the bleachers. Madison and Isabelle sat in the center, Rebecca sat with Danielle in the top row, to the left. Lexi and Liam sat together and Ricardo sat with Toby in the middle right. Everyone else seemed scattered around them, except the cabin counselors. They stood with Chiron and talked in hushed whispers, until Aiden whispered something loudly.

"That's idiocy! A war because they exist? No." He snapped at Chiron.

"Well, it's the measures they're taking. You also forget that the bolt has been stolen, and now so has the helm of darkness and Poseidon's trident. They're looking at all six of the kids as-"

"They're not laying a hand on my sister. I've already lost one and I'm not about to lose another."

With that, Aiden stormed out of the armory, slamming the door. Emanuel cleared his throat and turned to everyone.

"Um, we have a letter from the gods, and I'm going to read it now. O.K." He said, awkwardly continuing through the thick tension that came when Aiden left. "Dear Demigods-"

He stopped reading because everyone began talking.

"You know what, just read it on your own. We're going to find Aiden." Emanuel groaned, annoyed.

The counselors left and Rebecca got up and grabbed the letter that had been left on the ground. She gasped when reading its contents.

_Dear Demigods, _

_Weapons have gone missing from the big three. At first it was only Zeus' bolt and Poseidon's trident, so they've started war sides. Now, Hades' helm has gone missing. It is still a two sided war. The thing is, the gods are picking sides and they want to use America as their battle grounds. The gods are still picking sides and once they pick a side, it will be announced. Then, you must pick sides. Once everyone has chosen a side, no one is safe. It's war. _

_-Hestia._

* * *

**Ahh, lovely way to announce a war, huh? Well, I have a few things to discuss. **

**1. Yep, Aiden had another sister. You will find out what happened to her later. Maybe. **

**2. The wedding will bring a few... interesting things that will spark the war. **

_**3. What sides do you think the gods will choose? Keep in mind, it's Zeus' side vs. Poseidon's. **_

**If you have any questions or theories about 1 or 2 or any answers to 3, please review. Reviewing really means a lot to me and it's one of the things that will keep me updating on this story. Please review and thank you for the favorites, follows, support and the time you've taken to read this. **

**Love you guys! **

**-Gabby **


	8. Field Trips

**Field Trips **

* * *

***ON OLYMPUS* **

"Your daughter has stolen my master bolt and I will find her and destroy her!" Zeus bellowed, shaking his finger violently at his brother, Poseidon.

"Over my cold, dead, immortal body, brother." Poseidon said, deadly controlled. "You forget that she's your daughters best friend. You sent a fury after them!"

"Only your daughter! It knows not to harm mine!"

"Oh, shut up. You two sound like lovers having an argument." Aphrodite said, rolling her eyes. "I would know."

"Oh, please. I'm practically the goddess of marriage. You're only a baby compared to me. What would you know?" Hera cackled.

"Oh, Hera, dear," they heard a new male voice say sarcastically, "Your _lover_ barely even talks to you, let alone argues with you. What would _you_ know?"

They all turned to Hades, who Aphrodite hi-5'd. The rest of the gods and goddesses, who had been watching the arguments, just nodded. Hades wasn't as looked down upon now as he use to be. He stopped the demigod war when it happened. Of course, he only stopped it because the souls of the dead demigod were annoying and too prideful. Some even refused to believe they'd been defeated and killed in battle. Nonetheless, Hades saved the remainder of their children so they didn't fully hate him anymore. Not as much, at least.

"Hades." Zeus said, surprisingly happy to see him. Ever since thirteen years ago, Hades and Zeus had a secret. Hades nodded.

"Zeus. How are you? I came to sign my name to the war. Oh, look." Hades said, looking at the parchment sign up sheet. Already, a name was under Poseidon. "Of course you'd sign your name first, Ares."

"Hell yeah. I live for war. And I chose fish for brains because, well, it'll be fun to go after Zeus." Ares said.

"Please. I'd pulverize you." Zeus said, growling.

Ares stood, ready for a fight.

"I'm the god of war." He said, not bothering to hide an ounce of his pride.

Zeus only laughed.

"And I'm practically the god of the gods."

Hades rolled his eyes.

"As much as I'd love to see you kill each other, I decided that Persephone and I will be the last to sign up." He said, walking to the door.

"Persephone?" Aphrodite asked.

"You're going to let her leave?" Demeter asked, grinning.

"Yes. She is still my wife and she must return after the war, but I will let her fight. If she dies, I'll just find someone new." Hades shrugged, leaving.

"You monster." Was all Demeter could say.

"Shut up and eat some cereal." Hades called, lastly before leaving completely.

**~X~X~X~**

Ricardo looked around as everyone else rushed to get ready for their trip to the mortal world. He wasn't going. They were all going dress and tuxedo shopping for the wedding, so why would he need to go? Rebecca didn't ask him. Of course he didn't like weddings, but he was her friend. He felt excluded in a way that made him want to punch something. So he did. He'd punched a hole in the side of the Ares' cabin and ran like hell after realizing what he'd done. Rebecca walked over to him, dressed in a silver camp shirt and denim skinny jeans. She wore gray TOMS and had her dark hair pulled into a ponytail of curls, her bangs and extra curls framing her face.

Her silver eyes, the color of the moon when it was glowing brightly, trained on his eyes. She felt bad for not asking him but she would have felt stupid if he would have said no. Now he had to stay at camp, practically all alone while they all went shopping. Well, he didn't have to but he chose to. Rebecca smiled warmly at him.

"Hey." She said, quietly.

"Hey." He replied, looking off into the distance. He didn't feel like talking to her right now. He didn't know why this effected him so much. Yeah, they were friends, but they barely even knew each other. But still, she knew him more than she knew that Ares' kid, right?

"So, how are you?" She asked, wanting to make conversation.

"Fine."

"Oh, that's good. Me, too. I'm just ready to go, you know? It's so boring just sitting here and waiting." She giggled nervously.

"Yep."

"So um..." She noticed the black roped necklace which held a pendent. She couldn't tell what was on it, though. "That's a nice necklace."

He tucked it away inside his shirt.

"Thanks."

"What's up?" She asked, seeing how he was purposely being short with her. But why?

"What does it look like, Rebecca? I'm trying to avoid talking to you because I don't want to!" He snapped, turning and walking off. He regretted it, but he couldn't take it back now.

"Oh." Rebecca mumbled, though she knew he couldn't hear her. Her eyes began to water. No one had ever raised their voice that loudly at her, not even her adoptive brother when he was mad at her. Not Holly or Brandon when she started using their names. No one. She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she wiped her face and walked off.

She wasn't going to cry over a guy yelling at her. There could be worse things. She was stronger than this. So what if Ricardo was being rude? He probably didn't like her anyway. They were entitled to being friends and no one was making him act like one, so she couldn't get worked up over this. She wanted to be happy for Madison, though she knew her even less than she'd known Ricardo. She sighed loudly, then walked away.

**~X~X~X~**

Shopping with Madison, Rebecca, Spring and Lexi made Isabelle feel like she really did have a family. Sure, none of them were blood related, but if you're a kid of Poseidon, then water can always be thicker than blood if you wanted. Isabelle and the girls had already found out that the bridesmaids dresses would be delivered to camp in their sizes, but they should get dresses for the after party. Once they all gotten done picking out dresses and shoes, they paid for the items and went to meet Argus, who was driving them. All of the demigods were back in the van except for Emanuel. Emanuel was outside, talking on a payphone. His face was set deep in a scowl and he looked overly angry.

He slammed the phone down and went into the van, still in a foul mood. No one spoke to him, but they spoke to each other. Madison and Isabelle were talking about how much they missed doing cheer. Liam and Lexi sat alone, quietly. Rebecca and Danielle chatted about how awesome it was that they were cousins and how they couldn't wait for capture the flag. Once they got back to camp, it was dinner time. Everyone rushed to their cabins, wanting to hurry and put their things away so they could go out and eat, then play. Everyone walked to their tables in the dining pavilion, Rebecca, Ricardo, Madison and Isabelle sat alone.

They got up and made their offers to the gods, then went to put on their armor and get the new kids their weapon, it was time for capture the flag. And tonight, it was going to be more exciting than ever.

* * *

**Hellooooooooo lovelies. I need a new book to read. Like, not a FF book, but a real book. FF stories are great, too, though... hmmm. Well. Discussion/Question time! (Please remember that all questions will be bold and italicized. Regular discussions will just be in bold). Let's begin!**

**1. The gods are starting to choose sides. Ares would be the first to make a choice. *eye roll* **

_**2. Who do you think Emanuel was arguing with? Of course it may be hard to take a guess but you can try. **_

**3. Hades is going to be just a little care free until the war... reasons being he has a son, now! **

**4. Aren't you dying to know more about Aiden's lost sister? Well, I think I'm going to bring her up after the next chapter. **

_**5. Do you like the idea of Aiden getting a girlfriend? (coughSONNYcough) Though Sonny is two years younger than him... I like it...**_

_**6. What do you think Hades' and Zeus' secret is?**_

**Well, if you wanna discuss numbers 1,3 and 4 or answer numbers 2,5 and 6, please review. Or if you just want to review and let me know what you think, then by all means please do! Thank you so much for your favorites, follows, support and time for reading! **

**Love you!**

**-Gabby**


	9. Capture the Flag

**Capture the Flag**

* * *

After getting Madison, Isabelle, Rebecca, Ricardo, Lexi and Liam their swords and other weapons, everyone went out to the entrance of the woods, where Chiron had told them all to meet. No one was really in any colored gear yet except for the Ares and Athena cabins, who were the captains of this week. The Ares children had on red feather helmets while Athena's had on the blue ones. Chiron, now out of his wheel chair and in the form of a centaur, trotted over in front of them, capturing the new kids' attentions most of all. He looked around before he spoke, knowing good and well how this game might turn out. Everyone would go for the new kids first, since they were powerful. Since he knew this, Chiron was going to let them choose the captains pick.

"Alright, demigods, I'm going to flip a coin. Call it, Aiden." Chiron said, then he regretted it immediately. The children of Athena weren't lucky like the children of Fortuna, but they did make some very rational guesses.

"Tails." Aiden said, earning a smirk from Colton, who would have called heads.

Chiron flipped the coin, then caught it mid-air. He turned it over, laying it on his hand. He sighed, knowing well what Aiden's plan had been.

"Tails." Chiron announced. Both Aiden and Colton smirked.

"Artemis' daughter." Aiden called.

"Pan's twins." Colton said.

"Zeus' daughter."

"Poseidon's daughter."

"Hades' son."

"Hephaestus' kids."

"Apollo's kids."

"Dionysus' kids."

"Hermes' kids."

"Aphrodite's kids."

"Demeter's."

Aiden's plan had gone just as he wanted. He got the most picks, being able to pick more of the new kids, sort of, and having more players. Aiden gave his team blue feather helmets and Colton gave his the red ones. Aiden turned to his team, calculating a battle strategy. He soon got a headache, hearing fearful whispers. He took a deep breath, and they stopped. His headache stayed, but he ignored it. He was good at ignoring things.

"Alright. I want Becca and the Apollo cabin to take position in the trees and shoot arrows. I want two in one tree and I want them on opposite sides. Once you use all of your arrows, jump down and start sword fighting. Now, you will be protecting the flag, along with Maddie and Ricardo. But, Maddie and Ricardo will be beside the flag, while the four of you are just a little ways ahead. Hermes and Demeter cabins are with me. Aaron, I want you to use your gift and get the flag. Don't worry about us." Aiden said. "I'll keep an ear out for you."

He turned to everyone and grinned.

"What now?" Madison asked, wondering what Aaron's gift was.

"We wait." Aiden answered. A moment later, the conch horn sounded through the camp and Aiden's grin widened.

"Positions. Go!" Aiden yelled.

Rebecca and Danielle ran to a tree as Sonny and Logan did the same to the tree beside theirs. Layla grew a few vines, quickly, while she ran which helped them climb. Ricardo and Madison were positioned on either side of the flag, and the rest of the team were leaving to attack. The first few lines of attack were coming, but they were curving the wrong way. The way that the trees they were in were positioned, even if they shot at them, they'd still think they were going the right way. Rebecca and Sonny shot a few arrows, Rebecca hitting a girl from Aphrodite and Danielle hitting a girl from Ares.

This was Aiden's genius plan. Keep all attention away from where the flag was, and make them think it was just a direction away. Rebecca almost laughed to herself, until she got a searing pain in her shoulder. She heard the scream leaving her mouth as she began falling down. Danielle tried to grab her but she failed. She turned and shot at Colton as he tried to throw another spear at the already injured girl. The arrow hit his hand and he screamed. Logan shot an arrow at Colton, as did Sonny. Sonny's hit his foot and Logan's hit his shoulder, just like his spear had hit Rebecca's.

Just a few feet away, Ricardo had heard the scream.

"Who was that?" He whispered, frantically to Madison. Her face was pale and she looked like she was going to puke. She pointed to just in front of them, barely noticeable through a few shrubs hiding them. But beyond those shrubs was a body on the ground.

"Becca." Madison whispered.

"Shit." Ricardo said, pulling his sword and going out to the shrub. No one was coming and Colton had limped the wrong way. He called up to Danielle, telling her to switch with him. She said no.

"I'll do it." Sonny whispered, jumping down. "I'm out of arrows, anyway."

Ricardo nodded and walked over to Rebecca and Danielle. Danielle was leaning over her cousin, trying to take the arrow out.

"You're going to have to do something for me, Ricardo." Danielle said, a contorted look on her face.

"What is it?" He asked, immediately feeling even worse for yelling at Rebecca earlier. The fall had knocked her out and she was barely breathing. She had fallen a long way down. Damn, Colton must have had a good arm. He wanted to kick him in the face.

"Hold her left hand with your right one and use your right one to hold her left shoulder. I have to yank the arrow out of this shoulder and that's going to wake her up. She will scream and it will attract a lot of attention so... Logan! I need you to be ready to shoot." She said, looking at her brother.

"You got it. Just help Becca, O.K?" He asked, notching an arrow.

"Of course." She replied.

She turned to her cousin and Ricardo did as he'd been told. He now lightly pushed down on her shoulder, while holding her limp hand. He was scared. He didn't know why, he barely knew her. But then again, he'd protected her in their first fight together. Why couldn't he have protected her now? Worst of all, she was probably mad at him. He wiped away his thoughts and waited for Danielle. Danielle took a deep breath and then yanked the arrow out of Rebecca. Rebecca's eyes shot open and she screamed as she tried to sit up. Which, by then, Ricardo had pressed down on her shoulder a little firmer. She was squeezing his hand so tightly, he could barely feel it anymore.

She had tears coming out of her eyes and she turned into Ricardo, not knowing who he was but that he supplied a lot of protection at that moment. Danielle had been humming a song while Rebecca was screaming. Danielle stood and turned to Ricardo.

"Watch her. Defend her. You're good at sword fighting, so you're perfect for this. But, I have to help my brother from the trees. Just make sure they keep coming this way and not to the others." Danielle informed him.

"Got it." Ricardo said, lifting Rebecca into his lap. Her eyes were still closed but she heard his voice.

"Ricar- Ricardo?" She asked, so quietly he almost didn't hear her.

"I'm here, it's alright. You're going to be fine." He assured her, lifting her little more. He had to get her out of sight.

"Why- Why are you mad at me?" She asked, a little bit louder, but still quietly.

"I was being stupid earlier. I'm not mad at you. We can talk about this later, but I have to protect you right now, O.K?" He asked. He could hear and see Danielle and Logan firing arrows. It was nothing but quietness from Rebecca for a moment.

"It's later." She whispered. He shivered. He didn't know why. It wasn't cold outside, but yet he still shivered.

"After the game, O.K? Just wait right here and be quiet for a little while. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He said, placing her up against a tree. He could hear people coming.

"Alright." She whispered.

He drew his sword and waited. Ricardo wasn't dumb and he knew Aiden wasn't either. He'd seen Johnathan and Clair, the oldest children of Demeter, go into the wrong direction. They were dealing with everyone who went that way, so he didn't have to watch his back. He saw Ian coming for him. Danielle and Logan were already on the ground, sword fighting with Bradly and Naomi, children of Aphrodite. He raised his sword.

"Hey. Please don't take this seriously. We're still friends." Ian said, just before swinging.

"Got it." Ricardo said as he blocked him.

Ian swung at his chest and Ricardo ducked. His chest was already hurting. It was pinged with guilt from yelling at Rebecca. Ian swung at his feet and he jumped in time. No, he couldn't get injured. He still had to protect Rebecca. He swung at Ian's waist and he felt his blade connect, but not deeply. Ian sucked in his breath, but swung at Ricardo's head. Ricardo ducked and a memory flashed in his mind. It was the one of when him and Rebecca had sword fought and she'd cut his bangs.

"Rebecca." He mumbled. He had to make sure she was still O.K. Cheering brought him out of his thoughts and Ian stopped mid swing, which caused him to stop mid-block.

"I take it you won." Ian grinned. Ricardo didn't care. The game was over and he could help Rebecca. He ran to her and lifted her in his arms bridal style.

"Holy shit!" Ian screamed, his blue eyes widening in the dark.

"Come one, let's get her to the infirmary." Danielle said, her and Logan running to them.

"Is she going to be O.K?" Bradly asked, walking over.

"She should be, but it was Colton's spear." Danielle said, looking down.

"Well he is a good aim-"

"No, Brady. It was his spear."

"T-that's against the rules. She could die!"

"Exactly. Now, go tell Chiron and everyone else where we are. Come on, boys, we have to go. Ian, run back to the Apollo cabin and get my medical bag for me. The password is _fos_." Danielle told him as he ran off.

"What's so important about Colton's spear?" Ricardo asked, confused. Danielle wouldn't meet his eyes.

"The tip?" Logan asked, looking away. "Yeah. It's laced with Hydra poison."

* * *

**fos- Light in Greek.**

**Why, another chapter. Thank gods, right? Well, question/discussion time!**

**1. How do you people feel about Colton? I mean, he seems to be losing his charm on me. Damn him. **

_**2. Did you like the little Rebecca/Ricardo moment there? **_

**3. What are some good PJO fanfics? I'm sort of into O.C ones, but if you know any good ones (preferably complete but I will read the ones in progress) please review or PM me them!**

**_4. Why do you think Aiden got that headache?_ **

**Review if you have any answers or comments. Thank you! **

**I love you guys!**

**-Gabby**


	10. The Quest

**The Quest**

* * *

Ricardo didn't leave Rebecca's side. It was now the next day, after Danielle had used even more healing remedies, and he'd slept on an empty bed beside Rebecca. He woke up to Logan moving things around. He sat up slowly in the bed and looked at Rebecca's sleeping figure.

"What time is it?" He asked, groggily.

"One." Logan replied, nonchalantly.

"Holy Hades! It's one?"

"You looked tired. Oh, Rebecca woke up earlier. She was surprised you were here. She thought you were still mad at her, and then she remembered something. I don't know."

"She woke up? Why didn't you wake me up then?"

"Chill, she'll be awake soon." Logan chuckled.

"Why do you care so much?" Ricardo asked, watching him delicately change her medical wrap, careful not to wake her.

"Why do you?" He asked, looking at him but continuing his work. He didn't give him the chance to answer. "Love."

Ricardo choked.

"W-what?" He asked, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. Logan laughed a little.

"It doesn't have to be love-love. It can just be caring about them. You worry. I'm the only son of Apollo left for now. I might have younger brothers, but they aren't old enough for me to meet yet. I have two younger sisters left here. I have Becca. She's more of a sister to me than my cousin. I'm the oldest kid and it's my job to protect them. You see that over there?" Logan asked, pointing to an occupied bed. Ricardo nodded. "That, my dear love sick puppy, is Colton."

"Love sick? No. I'm not in love."

"I was joking." He laughed, waiting for his information to register in Ricardo's mind. It did.

"You beat up Colton?!" Ricardo yelled.

"No desert for a month and kitchen duty during my free time. Still so worth it." He said, hi-5ing Ricardo.

"I bet. That's amazing!" Ricardo grinned.

"I know. You're welcome. I knew you were pretty pissed but I mean, he's a big guy. He would have killed you."

Both boys started laughing and Rebecca's eyes opened.

"Oh, did we wake you up? I'm sorry." Ricardo said, looking at her.

"It's O.K. what's so funny?" She asked, confused. Logan pointed to Colton, who now flipped them off.

"Oh my gods! What happened to him?" She asked, shooting out of her bed and rushing over to him. She almost slipped, but she steadied herself.

"I beat him up. Duh." Logan said.

"Why?!" She asked, showing up beside him. Colton was shocked.

"He hit you with the spear." Ricardo said, confusion laced in his voice.

"You don't just beat people up, though! Oh- my gods. Is this what you two were laughing about?!" She asked, upset.

"Um..." Logan mumbled, looking at Ricardo, who held his hands up in defeat. "Maybe?"

"Oh my gods. Boys are so fu-"

"It's O.K. I deserved it." Colton said. "I forgot about my spear. I didn't mean to. I hope you can forgive me."

"Yeah, of course! I'm sorry." She said.

Ricardo and Logan exchanged a look.

"Sorry." Logan sighed, earning a nod from Colton.

"It's cool, bro. I should have made sure of what spear I was using."

Ricardo groaned loudly and Rebecca laughed. She walked over to him and hugged him, causing his breath to hitch. He slowly reached up and hugged her back.

"Thank you for what you did. You risked yourself, but you helped me anyway." Rebecca mumbled softly. A shiver passed through him.

"It's no problem. We're friends, friends save each other." He said, numbly.

"Guys, Chiron needs-" Lexi stopped mid-sentence and turned away. "Oh. I see that I- um-"

"What is it, Lex?" Rebecca asked, stepping away from Ricardo.

"Chiron needs us. Right now." She said, looking back.

"Alright. Let's go, Rico." Rebecca said, already walking away.

Once they got to the Big House, they walked straight in and into the meeting room. Chiron and the others were already sitting at the table. They sat down and turned to Chiron.

"Sir-" Chiron held his hand up to silence Isabelle.

"Please, just call me Chiron."

"Chiron-" She tried to begin again, but was stopped.

"You're going to leave tomorrow. After the wedding. Yes, the weddings been moved up to tomorrow. You'll leave tomorrow night."

"Why?" Liam asked, sitting up.

"You have a quest. Three boys and three girls have gone missing. They are Samuel and Jane Reynolds, Luke Calitas along with his girlfriend Sara Lick and Javier and Rosalie Garcia."

Most of the children in the room perked up.

"How long until we leave. I need hours." Ricardo said, quietly. His knuckles were turning white from how tight he was squeezing his fist.

"27." He said. "It's five now. You'll leave at eight."

Ricardo was the first to get up and leave.

* * *

**Ah. Um I have a few things to say and ask. **

_**1. Who do you think Javier and Rosalie are? **_

_**2. Do you think Colton is confusing? **_

_**3. More or less Ricardo/Rebecca? (I think more, honestly) **_

**4. Umm.. you're probably going to be upset but I won't update this story for a few days.. give or take. I'm going to finish my other story (Saving the Son of Death) and since it only has a few more chapters left (three or four maybe), I'm going to go ahead and finish it. Then I'm going to update this story and finish it before I start the next two (the second ones of this and Saving the Son of Death). Feel free to read StSoD if you want. I love reviews and it's just now starting to get some. So, check it out if you want!**

**Well, I love you guys! See you in a few days! Maybe less! **

**-Gabby **


	11. The Wedding

**The Wedding**

* * *

The girls were all dressed in their bridesmaids dresses (navy strapless dresses with two brown buttons that went down the stomach, a little bit frilly at the bottom and that stopped about the knees) and their shoes. They all had their hair down and curled. Sonny, who was walking around, screamed as Aiden appeared in front of her, stealthily.

"Oh my gods! You big doofus." Sonny said, blushing. Aiden grinned.

"Don't lie. I know you thought it was funny." He said, grinning wider.

"You promised me you'd never do that to me." Sonny said, looking away.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I forgot that best friends had special treatment." He said, looking at her apologetically.

"It's O.K." Sonny smiled. She jumped on his back and made him carry her around.

"Gods, woman, how many pounds have you put on?" He gasped, dramatically.

"Shut up!" She laughed, pulling his ears.

"Ow ow ow ow!" He complained, through laughter.

"Come on, Argus is ready to go." Madison said, walking over to them. "And don't ruin your tux, please."

Aiden grinned. That was something Lisa would say.

"No problem, Li-Maddie." He said, catching himself.

"Alright." Madison said, hearing him.

They all walked off and went to the van where Argus and the other demigods were. Everyone sits in their preferred groups and talk about nothing the whole way to the church where the wedding was being held. Once they got there, all of the bridesmaids went to Madison's mother and the groomsmen went to her father. After everyone had gotten ready and Kayla, the seven year old of Dionysus, got ready in her dress, everyone began taking seats. The girls and guys walked to their places and the groom, Vince, had gotten in his place at the alter, the piano began to play the wedding march. Kayla walked out, throwing pedals everywhere. Following Kayla was Madison's mom.

Her mom's dressed flowed behind her two feet as she walked. She held her bouquet and had one of the biggest smiles on her face Madison had seen in years. So, Vince did make her mom happy. Her mom hooked Vince's arm when her grandfather let her go. Her grandfather smiled at her and she returned it. It seemed so silly, having a wedding so soon. But Madison remembered they'd been dating in secret for years. The priest began his vows and whatnot and soon, they were up to the part where Madison's mom and Vince were kissing. Everyone cheered and her mom threw the bouquet, ready to start the after party. Her mom's best friend, Janine, caught the bouquet and squealed happily, looking at her boyfriend.

Her boyfriend almost choked on his Parmesan chicken, which he sneaked away from the buffet. Of course. Madison and everyone else then went to the rooms to change into their dresses.

**~X~X~X~**

"This is so stupid." Ricardo groaned to himself.

He'd spent years being alone, except for the only two people he cared about, and now here he was. Alone again and with those same very two people missing. He couldn't help but wonder how Rebecca was doing. He also couldn't help feeling guilty about forgetting Javier and Rosalie. He needed to leave soon. He still had three more hours. He groaned once again.

"Are you O.K?" Route asked, walking over to him.

"No, I'm not. Javier and Rosalie are missing and Rebecca and the others could be in danger right now and I'm here." He replied.

"Well, you could always go." Route suggested.

"Bullshit. How am I suppose to get there?"

"Shadow travel. You're a son of Hades. It's better you learn now than never."

"How the hell does that work?"

"Just run into a shadow and imagine where you want to be. You'll be there. You'll get the hang of it. It should come naturally to you."

While Route was blabbering, Ricardo had already jumped into a shadow and gone. Once he arrived at the wedding, actually it was the after party, he noticed the chaos. Rebecca saw him and ran to him.

"We have to get out! We have to go! It's Hera! She's here to kill Madison! We have to get everyone out! We have to go!" She cried. Ricardo hated to see girls cry. He nodded and lifted her bridal style then ran.

"Where is everyone?" He asked, running past a burning table cloth.

"There! In that building. All of the demigods including Madison are there." Rebecca said.

He opened the door the building and saw everyone. He put his had on the light switch.

"Everyone make a circle and hold hands. We're gonna get out of here." Ricardo promised.

He waited until everyone was holding hands and he flipped out the switch, grabbed Rebecca's, and was engulfed in the shadows. Once he was on ground again, at the camp, he fell to his knees. Suddenly, someone screamed. A body, without a head was outside the borders. Ricardo crawled out of the borders to it and noticed it was in a wedding dress. He already knew who it was.

"No no no no!" Madison cried as she ran to the body. She lifted up the skirt of the dress, on the backside, and tears ran down her face. "Mom!"

Aiden ran over to her and soon everyone was surrounding them. On the back of the body, just above her butt, was a butterfly tattoo with the name 'Madison' under it. Ricardo was right.

Hera had killed Madison's mom.

* * *

**Well, I'm sorry it took so long but here it is! So, yeah! **

_**1. How do you feel about Madison's mom dying? **_

**2. Here's something that's eating me up. I think I'm moving too fast with Rebecca and Ricardo's relationship. Maybe? **

**3. I'm gonna be updating more, hopefully! **

**Well, review please! **

**Love youu!**

**-Gabby **


	12. Leaving

**Leaving**

* * *

There was an awkward silence as the six children rode in a camp van, which was disguised as a strawberry company van. Madison, who'd kept to herself the whole ride so far, stayed bunched up in her seat by the window. Isabelle, still crying, only seemed to get louder as everyone else got quieter. Rebecca, still in her dress like the other girls, was asleep with her head on Ricardo's shoulder. Liam and Lexi, slumped up together, slowly drifted off to sleep, leaving from the conversation they'd been having with Ricardo. Ricardo, the only one awake and not crying or blocking out the world, put in his earphones and turned up his music. He couldn't take the silence, not when he could be out there finding his younger half siblings.

The silence made him feel like he was doing nothing and he couldn't settle for nothing, not now. He stared down and the worn down iPod Shuffle in his hand. Why did they have to go missing? Why did anyone have to go missing? Why was he a demigod? All of these questions seemed to float around in his head as he shut his eyes. He'd decided he'd think about it later. He relaxed himself, still aware of Rebecca's head on his shoulder. He slowly allowed himself to drift off to sleep, only to be met with a dream meeting.

**"Son!" a tall man with a willowy frame and darker than dark hair spoke, enthusiastically. **

**"Who are you?" Ricardo asked, eyeing the man down. **

**"Who am I?" the man asked, shocked and with hurt, "I'm Hades. I'm your father." **

There was this sudden sensation. He was falling. Then, he felt his body jerk and his eyes opened to find a newly awakened Rebecca. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. He looked around to find that Liam and Lexi were still asleep and now so were Isabelle and Madison. He then noticed that it was also dark out, now. He looked back to Rebecca, who'd given them a little distance by scooting closer to Lexi.

"I don't bite." Ricardo whispered, as to not wake up his friends.

"Yeah, but I have to move a little. I'm so tired of just sitting here." she said, looking down at the map.

This was going to be a dangerous quest. They were going to Alaska, a territory not protected by the gods.

"I know the feeling." Ricardo said, sighing and leaning back.

"Are you okay?" she asked, looking at him with new-found curiosity.

"No." he sighed, after a moment.

After a moment of hesitation and self-conflict, Rebecca reached down and gave his hand a small squeeze. He turned to her and caught glimpse the sad smile on her face.

"I have someone out there, too. He hates me, I'm sure of it, but I have to save him. I may mean nothing to him but he means a lot to me." she said, realizing how much she missed having a brother who cared about her.

"It's your brother, right?" Ricardo asked, clearing his throat and looking away. He kept his hold on her hand light but firm at the same time.

"Adoptive, yes." she said, looking down, relaxing her hold on his hand.

"You don't sound too happy about it." he said, quietly while rubbing circles on her hand with his thumb.

"He hates me." she mumbled.

"I'm sure he doesn't hate you." he whispered to her.

She looked up at him and smiled.

"I like to think that, too." she whispered.

They sat together in silence, doing nothing with their time except enjoying each others company and the feel of the others hand in their own.

* * *

So, it's short, but I will have more. Please review(:


End file.
